Thursday, May 27, 2010

The idea of using "diabetes trash" to make art isn't new to me. My fabulous friend Lee Ann introduced me to this idea quite a while ago. In fact, she often blogs about the great art therapy sessions she's done involving "d-trash" and I hope to have the opportunity to participate in one some day.

So when Dana sent me an email asking if I could help spread the word about her need for supplies for a diabetes-art project, I was thrilled to help. In Dana's words

"I am a Type 1 artist, working towards my Masters in Fine Art. My latest body of work deals with diabetes in theme as well as materials. I am in search of expired or used Medtronic pump equipment packaging. In particular the MiniMed Quick-Set Paradigm."

Here is a picture Dana sent me to show exactly which part of the packaging she is looking for.

If you'd like to send your insertion set packaging to Dana, please shoot me an email and I'll pass along her information to you!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Every year Cara, a die-hard Broadway Fan, makes a trip to New York City. This year I was finally able to attend the annual diabetes meet up. Yay!!! We all met for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien at noon. (Although one of us was very late because the only subway she knew would get her up-town to the right stop wasn't running on Sunday. Stupid subway!!)

After a fun lunch, a bunch of us took advantage of the beautiful weather by strolling through Central Park. I suppose we looked a bit odd when we all gathered in a circle, pulling out our pumps to compare the various features. It seemed pretty natural to me though!

Once we made our way back down to 59th street, it was about time to say our good-byes. Pete and I were up for some more walking, and since we'd pass Cara's hotel on our way back to Grand Central, the three of us set off down 5th Avenue. I was really lucky to snag some extra time to chat with Cara. And I couldn't help but get a touristy picture of us in Rockefeller Center.

It's always such fun to take on-line connections made though blogging and Twitter and bring them into the real world. I'm sure other tourists people-watching in NYC would never have guessed that Cara and I met for the first time just a couple of hours before. They would probably have bet that we were old friends. Because when you get right down to it, we are!

Monday, May 17, 2010

So, it's Monday and Diabetes Blog Week is officially over. All I can say is . . . . WOW!!! Just WOW!!! Beyond that, I'm having a very hard time putting everything that last week was into words. But I'll try.

We had 142 (Oh My Goodness, 142!!!!!) blogs participating in Diabetes Blog Week. (And I still have hundreds of posts left to read, but I promise I will eventually read each and every one of them!) Participants were a mix of Type 1s, Type 2s and parents with diabetic children. To be honest, I had no idea just how many diabetes bloggers were out there, and I'm lucky to have made so many new blog friends along the way. I'll be leaving the participant list under the header for a while - and later I'll move it over into my sidebar.

In my opinion, the best thing about Diabetes Blog Week was that it brought us all together. I loved getting email from people telling me how great it was to read all the posts and realize that others have the same issues that they do. We shared our tips, our ideas, our frustrations and triumphs with each other. And hopefully, we helped educate those outside of our diabetes blog community about what it's really like to live with diabetes.

So thank you - to everyone who blogged during the week and shared with us. Thank you to those who read the posts and left comments. It was a great week that never would have happened without your enthusiasm. And I'm thinking maybe in a year, we can all come together again for the Second Annual Diabetes Blog Week? What do you say?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Day 7 - Dream a little dream - life after a cure.To wrap up Diabetes Blog Week, let’s pretend a cure has been found. We are all given a tiny little pill to swallow and *poof* our pancreases are back in working order. No side effects. No more insulin resistance. No more diabetes. Tell us what your life is now like. Or take us through your first day celebrating life without the Big D. Blog about how you imagine you would feel if you no longer were a Person With Diabetes.

As an '80s girl, I find life after The Cure a bit tough. The big hair, the make-up . . . you just don't see lead singers like that anymore. I used to play them all the time when I deejayed in college. I wouldn't exactly say I had the Goth thing going on, but I do remember wearing black nail polish and black lipstick on occasion.

What??? Not The Cure? But A cure . . . for diabetes? Yeah, well, when I was coming up with post topics this seemed like a fun way to end Diabetes Blog Week on a high note. But as I sit down to write this post, it's tough - so I resort to smart-ass humor. Because, to be honest, I don't believe I'll see a cure.

Don't get me wrong - I do believe in a cure. I believe the children with diabetes now will see a cure - it's the reason I still do diabetes walk-a-thons. I just stopped believing in a cure before my time runs out.

Let's say I'm wrong. Let's say one day, I'm cured. What would I do? I think I'd automatically calculate the carbs in my meal before realizing I didn't need to. I think I'd panic when my pump wasn't hanging from my hip before realizing I don't wear a pump anymore. I think I'd reach for my meter for my pre-dinner blood sugar check before realizing my fingers are now a lancet-free zone. I think I'd wake up thirsty in the middle of the night and worry I am high before realizing my blood sugar is always normal now and my house is just dry. All of the things I do to manage diabetes have worked their way seamlessly into my life and doing them has become second nature. I would be overjoyed not to have to do them anymore. But I'm pretty sure I'll always have to and most of the time I am okay with that.

So yes, a cure would be awesome. But I know I'll be fine without one. And at least I'll always be lucky enough to have the D-OC!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Day 6 - Diabetes snapshots. Inspired by the Diabetes 365 project, let’s snap a few d-related pictures to share today. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Be creative! Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures. Or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Alternate post title??

Diabetes Supplies Near My Cat As An Excuse To Post Her Picture!

These might be mildly interesting . . .

Nope. Remove them immediately!

Although I do dig batting around the empty drums.

Insulin pump? Boring!!

But the tubing? FUN!!!

I told you that you were over-treating that low!! 15 grams and wait 15 minutes. You never listen.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Day 5- Let's get moving. Exercise . . . love it or hate it? Do you have a regular exercise routine? Or do you have trouble finding your exercise motivation? How do you manage your insulin and food to avoid bottoming out during your workout? Today is the day to tell us all about your exercise habits, or lack thereof.

This is exactly what I look like. Yeah, right . . .

If there is one thing I'm very consistent about, it's exercise. I work out regularly. The reasons I might skip a day are few and far between. In fact, I'll list them here.

Reasons I Might Miss a Workout

My blood sugar is too low.

My blood sugar is too high.

My back hurts.

My knee hurts.

My head hurts.

It's too hot out.

It's too cold out.

I didn't get enough sleep last night. (I almost never get enough sleep.)

It's Tuesday. (Valid because we have our ballroom lesson on Tuesday, and I have convinced myself that 45 minutes of ballroom dancing is a legitimate workout. It might be, if only much of our lesson wasn't spent laughing at ourselves and goofing off.)

My cat is sleeping. (She's afraid of everything and dragging the treadmill out while she is sleeping would scare her.)

I don't feeeeeel like it. (Said in my most whiny voice.)

So yeah, as you can see, I workout regularly. I'd say I get about 4 or 5 sessions in every . . . . uuummm . . . what's that word I'm looking for? Week? No, that's not it. Month? Maybe, but not quite. Year? Yeah, that's it. Four or five good workouts every year! Awesome!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Day 4 - To carb or not to carb.Today let’s blog about what we eat. And perhaps what we don’t eat. Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. Which side of the fence do you fall on? What kind of things do you eat for meals and snacks? What foods do you deem bolus-worthy? What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?

In my opinion, today's post topic is perhaps the most controversial and sensitive. Let's face it, food choices play a huge factor in diabetes management. Most of us have also been told more times than we can count that we "can't eat that" by people who have no idea what they are talking about. The choice of what we eat and how much of it we consume is personal. To each their own. I hope all posts are read with respect and that we can keep Diabetes Blog Week a judgment-free zone!!

That said, my own dietary habits are an odd mix of good intentions and lack of willpower and I am constantly judging myself and my food choices. It's rare for me to come across a junk food that I don't like, so it's a constant battle of what I should eat and what I want to eat. I have never believed in eliminating entire food groups from my diet - especially the chocolate food group or the junk food group. (Those are part of the pyramid, right??) I do try not to go overboard - although I quite often fail. I also try to buy organic foods when possible - from fruits, vegetables and meats, to coffee, half & half, cookies and chocolate. It is my own little way of pretending my junk is healthy!

To tackle the actual carb issue - yes, I carb. I do try not to go overboard because I don't like to spike way up after my meals. I try to keep my carb intake between 20 - 35 grams per meal and 10 -15 grams per snack. I have a higher carb ratio at dinner time (13:1 as opposed to 10:1 the rest of the day), so I can get away with a few more carbs at dinner without shooting over the 200 mark blood-sugarwise. (Yes, I'm making up words now).

Of course, this sensible eating plan gets thrown right out the window on many occasions - I'm not going to lie. When we go to the awesome Mexican restaurant near our house, I eat more than my fair share of chips and salsa. (But in my world salsa is a vegetable - so really, it's healthy!!) Every Friday in my house is "Pizza and Martini Friday". Yes, I've switched us to Newman's Own pizza and we now use organic juice in the Pomegranate Cosmos - but even I can't figure out a way to convince myself that half of a frozen pizza and a vodka drink (or two *wink*) is a low carb, healthy choice. Yet Friday dinners are my favorite.

And if you come to my house for dinner tonight, you'd better make sure you bring an extra bottle of insulin. Because tonight I'm giving in to another craving and making this . . .

Ah, a big plate of creamy carby goodness. I suppose I should curse the day I learned how easy it is to make risotto . . . . but I don't!!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Day 3 – Your Biggest Supporter. Sure, our diabetes care is ultimately up to us and us alone. But it’s important to have someone around to encourage you, cheer you, and even help you when you need it. Today it’s time to gush and brag about your biggest supporter. Is it your spouse or significant other? Your best friend, sibling, parent or child? Maybe it’s your endo or a great CDE? Or perhaps it’s another member of the D-OC who is always there for you? Go ahead, tell them just how much they mean to you!

So last night I sat down to start writing today's post, and I didn't get very far. Part of the problem is that I blogged about this topic two years ago. My biggest supporter is, of course, my husband.

He's goofy, but I love him.

Since he's such a great supporter, I ran my problem by him. How do I write a post that I've already written two years ago? What is really left to say? His profound response? "Cut and paste, baby, cut and paste." Okay, clearly he is not a blogger. I can't very well come up with a post topic, cajole over 130 other bloggers into posting about that topic, and then simply cut and paste a two year old post into my own blog!! Not cool!!

That's when it hit me. More than 130 other bloggers getting the word out and sharing their thoughts during Diabetes Blog Week. Not to mention the countless others out there reading and commenting on all of the posts. Web-sites like TuDiabetes and Diabetes Daily who have helped spread the word. The Just Talking podcast, which had me on as a guest last night. All those tweets about #DiabetesBlogWeek. It instantly became clear just who I wanted to thank today for all of their support.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Day 2 – Making the low go. Tell us about your favorite way to treat a low. Juice? Glucose tabs? Secret candy stash? What’s your favorite thing to indulge in when you are low? What do you find brings your blood sugar up fast without spiking it too high?

The best thing I've found to treat my lows is this . . .

A Mott's for Tots Strawberry Banana juice box. It has 13 grams of carbohydrate - pre-measured to make treating easy! It is 47% juice mixed with purified water and some added vitamin C, so it's quite healthy. It tastes really good. And with happy little strawberries and bananas smiling at me, how can I help but feel better??

But my favorite thing I've found to treat my lows is this . . .

Chocolate frosting!!! It's almost impossible to measure out. It almost always causes me to over-treat. There is absolutely nothing healthy about it. But my oh my, it tastes GOOD!!! And when I'm very very low and I need something to spike me up fast, I'll allow myself to indulge in a small spoonful.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Welcome to the first day of Diabetes Blog Week! I'm excited to announce that at this time, we have 95 blogs participating! I couldn't be more thrilled and I want to thank each and every one of the Diabetes Blog Week participants and readers for your enthusiasm and support! A few people have asked me if I'll be posting a daily link page to each Diabetes Blog Week post. I love that idea, but with 95 blogs participating I don't think I could manage that. However, if you look over to the left, at the top of my sidebar I have added a special blog roll that displays the 10 most recent posts from Diabetes Blog Week participants. You can also click the "Show All" button at the bottom of that list to see the whole list. I hope that helps to make it easier to find all of the posts!! And now, on to Diabetes Blog Week!!

Day 1 - A day in the life . . . with diabetes.Take us through a quick rundown of an average day and all the ways in which diabetes touches it. Blood tests, site changes, high and low blood sugars, meal planning, anything that comes along. This can be a log of an actual day, or a fictional compilation of pieces from many days.

Here are some pieces of a typical day - although with diabetes there isn't really a "typical" day . . .

4:00 am – K.C., you are the best cat in the world, but please don’t a) pick this exact moment to show how much you love me by nuzzling my nose or licking my cheek, b) run around like a nut while repeatedly jumping on and off the bed and racing up and down the stairs, c) use my head as a step-stool in an attempt to get close to the window – I assure you no birds will make it through the glass for you to catch, d) all of the above. (It’s usually D)
OR
5:45 am – Please make that alarm clock stop ringing. Really, time to get up? Okay, K.C. here’s your food. shunk . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . beep a) 193 – what the heck!!! b) 48 – what the heck!!! c) 79 – wahoo!! Time for a 1 unit bolus and my cup vat of coffee.

5:55 pm – I am the most uncoordinated person in the world. Pete keeps asking if I’m sure I feel okay. CGM says I’m at 73 but on the down swing. I’d better let Pete dance with our instructor for a minutes so I can test my blood – even though I get so aggravated when I have to stop in the middle of a lesson. shunk . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . beep 52. Shoot!! Good thing I have a pack of juice boxes stashed in a storage closet – I’ll drink one while Pete and Juliet go over some more steps.

8:00 pm – Ice cream? Sure, sweetie, ice cream sounds good!! Make sure you weigh it on the food scale and let me know how many carbs I need to bolus for. And please help me remember to bolus after we finish the ice cream – the fat in it slows everything down and if I bolus now I’ll go too low and then spike up really high later.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Or maybe it's more of an inspiration. You see, last week on my knitting blog I participated in Knit and Crochet Blog Week. The idea was for yarny bloggers to spend a week posting about an assigned topic-of-the-day. This way readers could hop around the knit and crochet blog community and get a variety of unique insights on a single topic each day. It was great fun to participate, both in writing my posts and reading what my peers had to say. Can you guess where this is going?

I started to think about how awesome it would be if we had a Diabetes Blog Week. The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to do it. And I hope you want to do it too. Because I'm excited to announce . . .

Participation is easy. Below I've listed seven blog topics for next week - just in case you want to start drafting your posts in advance. Use these topics as a starting point for your post each day and see where it takes you. Write as much or as little as you like. There are no right or wrong answers - just read over the topic and start blogging! I've also included a wild card topic - use that if you find a day when you just can't think of anything to write about the chosen topic.

Monday 5/10 - A day in the life . . . with diabetes. Take us through a quick rundown of an average day and all the ways in which diabetes touches it. Blood tests, site changes, high and low blood sugars, meal planning, anything that comes along. This can be a log of an actual day, or a fictional compilation of pieces from many days.

Tuesday 5/11 – Making the low go. Tell us about your favorite way to treat a low. Juice? Glucose tabs? Secret candy stash? What’s your favorite thing to indulge in when you are low? What do you find brings your blood sugar up fast without spiking it too high?

Wednesday 5/12 – Your Biggest Supporter. Sure, our diabetes care is ultimately up to us and us alone. But it’s important to have someone around to encourage you, cheer you, and even help you when you need it. Today it’s time to gush and brag about your biggest supporter. Is it your spouse or significant other? Your best friend, sibling, parent or child? Maybe it’s your endo or a great CDE? Or perhaps it’s another member of the D-OC who is always there for you? Go ahead, tell them just how much they mean to you!

Thursday 5/13 - To carb or not to carb. Today let’s blog about what we eat. And perhaps what we don’t eat. Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. Which side of the fence do you fall on? What kind of things do you eat for meals and snacks? What foods do you deem bolus-worthy? What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?

Friday 5/14 - Let's get moving. Exercise . . . love it or hate it? Do you have a regular exercise routine? Or do you have trouble finding your exercise motivation? How do you manage your insulin and food to avoid bottoming out during your workout? Today is the day to tell us all about your exercise habits, or lack thereof.

Saturday 5/15 - Diabetes snapshots. Inspired by the Diabetes 365 project, let’s snap a few d-related pictures to share today. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Be creative! Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures. Or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Sunday 5/16 - Dream a little dream - life after a cure. To wrap up Diabetes Blog Week, let’s pretend a cure has been found. We are all given a tiny little pill to swallow and *poof* our pancreases are back in working order. No side effects. No more insulin resistance. No more diabetes. Tell us what your life is now like. Or take us through your first day celebrating life without the Big D. Blog about how you imagine you would feel if you no longer were a Person With Diabetes.

Wild card - Blood Sugar Nirvana or Moronic Moment. Blog about the time you ate a meal that tends to spike you to the moon, but your perfectly calculated and timed bolus kept your blood sugar happy. Or tell us about that time your brain had a little diabetes-blip and you did something you think is “stupid”. (Because chances are, we’ve done it too!!) Go ahead, brag about your triumph or commiserate about your d-blooper.

The key to making Diabetes Blog Week a success is YOU!! Leave me a comment and let me know you're in! Or send me an email with your name and blog address. (Also let me know via comments or emails if you have any questions.) I'll compile a list of participants and link it here so our posts are easy to find. Grab the banner (please don't hotlink though) and post about it on your blog to spread the word. Tweet about it to your fellow D-OCers. Together we can make Diabetes Blog Week a success!

I Am . . .

Karen Graffeo

I'm a Knitter living with Type 1 Diabetes. I'm not a medical professional nor am I giving medical advice - I'm just a girl sharing my personal thoughts and experiences with diabetes. I live in New England with my wonderful husband, my adorable cat, and lots and lots of yarn.